Self Love - Intrinsic Beauty, Trusting your Body and Love from Others

Tina at Faith, Fitness, Fun is running 30 Days to Self Love Reflections.  This weekend she has highlighted 3 more topics of Self Love and really had me thinking.  Her first topic, on Friday, was reflecting on inner beauty -- on looking below the surface to find inner qualities to cherish.  Intrinsic love is hard sometimes to grasp, because as we search, we need to look below the surface.  For someone who has always struggled with body image issues finding the intrinsic beauty in myself is sometimes difficult. Saturday's topic had us thinking about trusting our bodies.  We need to trust our bodies in so many ways, and listen to our bodies.  We need to trust our body on what it needs for fuel, and when it needs rest.  We need to trust our body that it will provide us with the energy to pursue a happy life.  On Sunday, we were to reflect on love from others. 

These topics are difficult to put the "answers" into words. Answers isn't quite correct as this isn't a test or homework assignment. I guess the word should really be "responses". 

My Gram and youngest daughter

Day 3:Intrinsic Beauty
How do they showcase in your life and make you beautiful?
I am truly beautiful because of my love, my love of my family, my friends and my faith.  My love is showcased as I embrace life, to share my time, love and support with my children, my husband, and my extended family.  It is also showcased by my time spent volunteering and helping - helping at the school, at church, and at dance.  

Quote to Reflect On
Some people, no matter how old they get, never lose their beauty – they merely move it from their faces into their hearts. ~Martin Buxbaum  
When I think of this quote, I think of my Gram.  And at 94, I think this picture shows her true beauty - her love and interest in her family (especially her great grand-children).


Day 4:Trusting Your Body
In what area do you know you need to trust your body more? How do you plan to do so today? There are two areas where I need to trust my body - the first is my instincts with food and the second is with running.  I need to continue to listen to my body and honour it by listening for cues so it can be healthy.  It is getting easier to nourish my body with natural and healthy food, but some days I still struggle.  I also need to trust that my body can support me as an athlete. As a child I was never athletic and it was never required of me to be active.  We did a few activities as I grew up that were active (water & downhill skiing, wind surfing, biking), but they were seasonal and never competitive sports.  My brother was the athlete, and he was encouraged to explore his interests trying different sports as his interests grew and changed.  I was never encouraged (bribed by one teacher) to become active, to find a sport or activity I loved...  From this I have difficulty accepting that my body can be athletic, that I am an athlete... but I am!  

Quotes to Reflect On
There is deep wisdom within our very flesh, if we can only come to our senses and feel it.  ~Elizabeth A. Behnke

This statement is so true.  We must listen to our bodies, and listen with our bodies.  It is so easy to listen to the negative statements running through our brains and forget to feel what our body is really saying.  As a non-athlete for over 35years, I have difficulties trusting that my body can know how to run and that I'll be able to complete my upcoming half marathon.  I still think of myself as the person coming in last, the one who never finishes the runs...  I remember at 17 unable to complete a 1 mile run (I did walk it, but was unable to run it), and definitely didn't finish it in the goal time.  BUT now I can run that mile (and a few more), and although I can't remember the time goal of the mile we were to complete, I'm pretty sure I could complete it under that time.  Until last year, I never really had been taught to run, on how to pace myself, on how to build my endurance, on how to listen to my body and feel how wonderful it was to run.  Now I run, I listen to my body, and try and banish those negative statements that come from others buried in my memory banks...


Day 5: Love from Others

My Cousin

On Friday we attended my cousin's wedding.  It was a beautiful event and few of the people there knew my struggles with my weight, other than family.  Due to our busy schedules we don't see my uncle and his family all that often.  Over the past few years, we get together at Christmas.  My cousin has always been an athlete, she has participated in many sports, including Varsity Sports at University, and making the National Field Hockey team.  Growing up we didn't have much in common, I was 5 years older and she always seemed closer to my brother than me -- they were both athletes, and closest in age.  I was truly blessed on Friday, when she congratulated me and told me that I looked amazing and fabulous.  She is quite proud of my accomplishments.  I doubt I'll ever run as fast as her (she's run a number of half marathons and probably some full marathons too!) but I really felt her love and respect for me.  (I think my mom got a photo of the two of us at the wedding, but since my mom's on holidays I'll have to post the photo later...)

My uncle (her dad) also said some amazingly supportive things to me at the wedding.  I'm glad to have his support and love. 

So many people love me and support me.  My husband and kids, my parents and their spouses, my grandmothers, my extended family, and my friends.
I'm sure they've loved me all these years (as have other family members) no matter what I've weighed or what my fitness level was.  And I'm glad they are standing with me in my journey through life.  I am happy they care, cherish me, love me, support me, and need me.

Try to think of all those wonderful things about you that others care for and use those to fuel your day.

My children love how wonderful I am, how I am there for them, how I comfort them, how I teach them and bless them.  They believe in me, and strengthen me.  It is for them I will continue to post and reflect this month, even as some of these topics are really hard to respond to.

My Running
I have been struggling with running ever since my husband went to Europe. It disrupted my schedule (such that it was) and now I'm having troubles getting back into routine. Especially since any routine I would have gotten into the past week would have then been changed come the start of school after Labour Day. BUT I do need to get moving as my half marathon is fast approaching. In the morning I will go for my long run.  I will post later about my recent runs and about my goals and reflections on some of my issues with running.

41 Days until my first Half Marathon!

Confidence

January 2010 - My first 5K Race!

Tina at Faith, Fitness, Fun is running 30 Days to Self Love Reflections.  The first topic is Confidence!  I have confidence in many things, but do struggle with confidence in a few areas.  In those areas where I am strong it is easy to be confident. But in those areas where I haven't excelled in the past it is difficult to be confident. I am working on my weaknesses and it takes determination to change what was set in motion years ago.  Growing up my strength was academics, I was a reader, I was good at math and science, A's were expected in most subjects, but it was OK for me to get a C in gym. 

My newest strength is that  --  I am a runner! This is a new strength.  I grew up learning that I wasn't athletic and given that I was smart, it didn't really matter (according to many adults in my life) that I wasn't a runner, soccer player, dancer, etc.  Some days it is difficult to believe that I can run, that I am a runner, and that I will soon complete a half marathon.  My training has been derailed the past two weeks because of self-doubt, but today I started again!  And got out for a run and a walk.  The past two weeks are in the past, they don't matter... what does matter is the run I completed today and those that I will complete going forward.  I am a runner and I can do it!


It’s not who you are that holds you back, it’s who you think you’re not. ~Author Unknown

My 4yo daughter today is exclaiming "I am a genius!"  She has confidence - and I hope as she grows she can keep her confidence.  That I can continue to nurture and strengthen her.  And lead by example, to show her that she (and her older brother and sister) are worth it and that they too can do what they set their mind to!